Montessori glossary · Ideas
Why ‘Montessori’ is not protected
Anyone in the United States may call a school Montessori, regardless of what happens inside.
In plain English
What it actually means
The term was never trademarked in the US, and a court case in the 1960s confirmed it had become generic. That means the word on the sign guarantees nothing at all — not the materials, not the training, not the three-year cycle. It also means the burden falls on parents to look at the actual room.
Why it matters to you
On a tour
We wrote a checklist for exactly this: how to spot a real Montessori school. Use it on us too.
More terms
Other words you will hear
Hear these words used properly
Tours run mid-morning, during the work cycle, year-round.